Adjustable laboratory glassware funnel support

ABSTRACT

A wire basket-like stand has a vertically adjustable rack shelf with longitudinally displaced pairs of spaced parallel, vertically disposed, coaxial, round funnel openings with front slots on each funnel opening. The upper funnel openings aree sufficiently larger than the lower funnel openings to receive and embrace a tapered glassware device at two axially displaced circumferential positions. Thus, the openings provide the glassware device with not only horizontal support, but also vertical stability.

United States Patent [1 1 Barren ADJUSTABLE LABORATORY GLASSWARE FUNNELSUPPORT [75] Inventor: Louis Baren, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Accurate Wirecraft Company, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 345,578

[52] US. Cl 248/94, 23/292, 211/74, 21 1/181 [51] llnt. Cl B011 9/00[58] Field of Search 248/94, 249; 211/74, 181; 23/292 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 134,738 1/1873 Dudley 211/74 447,605 3/1891Curtiss 486,762 11/1892 Camden 1,406,222 2/1922 Polo et al... 1,947,9322/1934 Fante 2,278,390 3/1942 Havlis.. 2,562,497 7/1951 Klein 2,680,5226/1954 Temple 2,956,686 10/1960 Garey 211/74 Jan. 7, 1975 3,435,9584/1969 Chesley 211/181 X 3,532,318 10/1970 Lloyd 211/181 X FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,315,748 12/1962 France 211/74 OTHERPUBLICATIONS Laboratory, Schaar and Company, May, 1952, page 9.

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Rodney H. BonckAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Alter Weiss Whitesel & Laff [57] ABSTRACT Awire basket-like; stand has a vertically adjustable rack shelf withlongitudinally displaced pairs of spaced parallel, vertically disposed,coaxial, round funnel openings with front slots on each funnel opening.The upper funnel openings aree sufficiently larger than the lower funnelopenings to receive and embrace a tapered glassware device at twoaxially displaced circumferential positions. Thus, the openings providethe glassware device with not only horizontal support, but also verticalstability.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 7:975

FIGZ

F IG; 4 (PRIOR ART) stands for laboratory glassware, especially thosewith funnel-shaped lower surfaces.

Laboratory glassware is a distinctive type of product exemplified bytest tubes, beakers, flasks, dishes, separators, and the like. Thecharacteristics of most laboratory glassware devices make themrelatively expensive, easily broken, and sometimes hard to handle. Thenature of their use requires them to be washed, sterilized, dried,transported, and stored. These and other characteristics make itdesirable to provide specialized racks and stands for such glassware.

The term glassware is used herein because it is a widely recognized termsignifying a class of products used primarily in laboratories. However,it should be understood that, as used therein, the term is also broadenough to include all similar products regardless of the material usedto make them, for example, such as plastics, stainless steel, and thelike.

The term funnel is used herein to describe any and all laboratoryglassware or similar products which have a tapered bottom or sidewall.In particular, the term includes products of the described type whichcannot conveniently stand alone. Also, this type of glassware requires agreat variety of vertical height adjustments. Some funnels have longstems, some have short stems, some are relatively wide, and some arerelatively narrow. Thus, a rack or stand for this type of glasswareshould have great flexibility.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide new and improvedracks and stands, especially although not exclusively for laboratoryglassware. Here, an object is to provide racks or stands adapted for usewith any of many different types or sizes of funnel glasswares. In thisconnection, an object is to provide fully adjustable racks and standswhich may be easily adjustable to accommodate glassware having virtuallyany stem length.

Another object is to provide an easily transportable rack or stand.Here, an object is to provide funnel racks or stands which withstandhigh sterilization temperatures, low refrigerator temperatures, andavoid damage from virtually all liquids, oils, chemicals, and otherattacking agents.

Yet another object is to provide sturdy low cost easy draining,chip-proof, and convenient racks and stands. Still other objects willreadily occur to those skilled in the art.

In keeping with an aspect of the invention, these and other objects areaccomplished by a wire, basket-like stand including an elongated rackshelf having on either side thereof longitudinally displaced pairs ofspaced parallel, vertically disposed, coaxial, round funnel openings.The upper funnel openings are sufficiently larger than the lower funnelopenings to receive and embrace a tapered glassware device at twoaxially displaced circumferential positions. Front slots are formed oneach funnel opening to facilitate insertion or removal of funnel-shapedglassware. Thus, the openings provide not only horizontal support, butalso vertical stability.

The nature of a preferred embodiment will be understood best from astudy of the attached drawing wherein:

FIG. I is a schematic perspective view of a funnel stand showing apreferredembodiment incorporating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a movable shelf or rack used in the stand ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical elevational view of the stand taken along line 3-3of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows how the prior art stands lack the facility required to givevertical stability to funnel-shaped ob- 1O jects supported on thestands.

The rack or stand of FIG. 1 is made primarily of spot welded heavy gaugesteel wire. the stand includes four vertical members 2043, preferablymade from two rods which are twice bent near their midpoints to providea somewhat U-shape with the bottom of the U 24, 25 at the top. Tworeverse bends 26-29 are formed on either end of the rods and placed atthe bottom of the stand to provide feet therefor. A plurality ofhorizontal stringers 31-37 are welded, or otherwise attached, at theirends to the U-shaped vertical rod members 2023. These stringers arevertically distributed along the length of members 20-23 to providealternative height positions for supporting one or more separatepiece-parts forming at least one shelf 38.

The bottom shelf 40 of the rack comprises a rectangular frame-likemember welded to the bottom ends of verticals 2023 and to the free endsof the reverse bends 26-29, whereby the reverse bends form 4 feet forsupporting the rack with the shelf raised off the floor. A plurality oflongitudinal stringers 41 run across the entire length of frame 40 wherethey are spot-welded thereto at their ends. Also, a longitudinalstringer 42 may be welded at either end to a central position on any ofthe horizontal stringers, as at 35, 37, for example. A longitudinal rodhandle 47 for carrying the rack is welded to the center of each of theU-shaped ends 24, 25 on the rack. Diagonal corner bracing struts 43-46are welded between the verticals 2(l23 and the lower shelf rectangularframe 40, thereby making a strong and rigid structure.

In keeping with an aspect of the invention, the shelf 38 includes aplurality of round funnel openings 55, 56 longitudinally displaced alongeither side thereof. Paired with each round funnel opening is a secondspaced parallel vertically disposed, and coaxially aligned, roundopenings 57, 58. The second opening is preferably formed from a singlepiece of wire having a circular bight terminating in downwardlyextending support legs 60, 61 formed at either end of the bight. Thelegs 60, 61 are spot welded or otherwise attached to the frame member 38on each side of the lower openings. The front of each of the roundfunnel openings has a slot 62 formed therein. Any suitable number oforthogonally positioned stringers 64, 65 may be welded to the frame 38in order to give rigidity to the shelf.

The length and width of the shelf 38 are such that it may rest on anyselected ones of the horizontal stringers welded between verticals 20,21 and 22, 23. Thus, the shelf 38 may be raised or lowered simply byresting it at either end on two different horizontal stringers inmatching positions at opposite rack ends. For example, shelf 38 is hereshown as resting on stringers 34, 36.

The nature of the inventive concept may become apparent from acomparison of FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in the prior art FIG. 4 device, afunnel-shaped glassware is shown as tipped off vertical by an unknownangle a, formed with respect to the horizontal. There is no easy andconvenient method of or means for selecting a perfectly verticalposition in this prior art device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the round funnel openings 55, 57 are shaped andproportioned to receive and embrace a tapered funnel-shaped glasslwareobject 81 nested at two axially displaced circumferential positions 82,83. Thus, as the funnel nests in openings 55, 57, the vertical axis 83of the glassware funnel object 81 always forms a right angle b which isperpendicular to the horizontal.

There are many reasons why the vertical alignment of FIG. 3 isimportant. Here, by way of example only, FIG. 3 has been drawn with anangular connecting tube 86 attached to the top of the glassware 81 inany suitable manner. It is apparent that tube 86 leads to otherlaboratory equipment, probably with a rigid attachment. Therefore, ifthe funnel-shaped object 81 tips or is stressed to tip, there are forceslikely to break the tube or to produce an adverse effect upon the entirelaboratory set up. However, with the invention such a change in stressis not possible. The glassware 81 is securely held in a single, verticalposition.

All of the wire rack and stand members are preferably dipped in aplastic material which covers sharp points and edges and protects allmetal parts. While any suitable plastic material may be used, achemically resistant neoprene rubber is preferred.

The appended claims are to be construed to cover all equivalentstructures falling within the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A funnel stand for laboratory glassware comprising a stand and shelfmade of rods or wires fastened together,

plastic neoprene rubber material covering all of said stand and shelf,

said stand comprising spaced apart inverted U- shaped vertical endmembers with displaced horizontal stringers attached in matched pairsacross the closed end of said U-shaped members,

the ends of said shelf being shaped to be supported on oppositelydisposedmatched pairs of said stringers,

said shelf ends and said pairs of stringers making contact in only onehorizontal plane,

said shelf comprising an elongated device with first openingsdistributed along the length of each side of the shelf in said onehorizontal plane,

a second opening coaxial with said first opening to form coaxial pairsof openings,

said pairs of openings being spaced parallel and vertically disposed toform coaxial round funnel openings,

each of said funnel openings having front slots,

one of said openings of each coaxial pair being formed by a wire havinga circular bight terminating in downwardly extending leg supportsattached adjacent the front slot in the other of said coaxial pair ofopenings, and

each pair of coaxial openings including an upper opening having adiameter which is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the lowerpaired openings to nestingly receive and embrace a tapered glasswaredevice at two axially displaced circumferential positions.

2. The funnel stand of claim 1 wherein said second opening is above saidfirst openings,

3. The funnel stand of claim 1 wherein said second openings are belowsaid first openings.

=l l= 8 =l

1. A funnel stand for laboratory glassware comprising a stand and shelfmade of rods or wires fastened together, plastic neoprene rubbermaterial covering all of said stand and shelf, said stand comprisingspaced apart inverted U-shaped vertical end members with displacedhorizontal stringers attached in matched pairs across the closed end ofsaid U-shaped members, the ends of said shelf being shaped to besupported on oppositely disposed matched pairs of said stringers, saidshelf ends and said pairs of stringers making contact in only onehorizontal plane, said shelf comprising an elongated device with firstopenings distributed along the length of each side of the shelf in saidone horizontal plane, a second opening coaxial with said first openingto form coaxial pairs of openings, said pairs of openings being spacedparallel and vertically disposed to form coaxial round funnel openings,each of said funnel openings having front slots, one of said openings ofeach coaxial pair being formed by a wire having a circular bightterminating in downwardly extending leg supports attached adjacent thefront slot in the other of said coaxial pair of openings, and each pairof coaxial openings including an upper opening having a diameter whichis sufficiently larger than the diameter of the lower paired openings tonestingly receive and embrace a tapered glassware device at two axiallydisplaced circumferential positions.
 2. The funnel stand of claim 1wherein said second opening is above said first openings,
 3. The funnelstand of claim 1 wherein said second openings are below said firstopenings.